Agnieszka Mlicka | 'artist in theory, researcher in practice'

News

26.11.2016 | MEDIATIONS Conference, RCA London, 21-22 November 2016

25.07.2016 | Presenting at the MEDIATIONS Conference, RCA London, 21-22 November 2016

I will be presenting my research at the MEDIATIONS conference 'Art & Design Agency and Participation in Public Space': "The conference will explore approaches through which artists and designers can pursue the empowerment of publics in the decision-making for, and co-creation of, public space."

 

The paper I submitted for the conference is about visualising multivocality through participatory painting. It will give insights into the main findings from my doctoral research project, but also respond directly to the conference session on Multivocality, Design and Public Space.

 

The conference is organised by TRADERS (Training Art and Design Researchers for Participation in Public Space) and hosted by the Royal College of Art in London.

07.07.2016 | Collaborative paper to be published in the Journal of Contemporary Painting

After a year of correspondence and negotiation with my co-authors Ken Wilder and Catherine Ferguson, our co-response paper 'Imagining a Relational Painting' will be published in JCP 2.2 this September. It is an innovative approach to co-authoring an academic paper, based on the idea that exciting new insights emerge from collaboration and dialogue rather than single-authorship.

 

Abstract:

"This article presents a discussion around the idea of painting as a ‘relational’ practice, which has evolved from the invited correspondence between Catherine Ferguson (as Painter) and Ken Wilder (as Non-Painter), facilitated by Agnieszka Mlicka. Their responses to envisaging such a relational painting reflect distinct artistic practices and philosophical traditions, which diverge and converge throughout the writing. For the Painter, on the one hand, painting becomes relational by virtue of its life and process, as an autopoietic entity in a dynamic relation with its environment. For the Non-Painter, on the other hand, the very terms relational and autopoiesis are treated with suspicion, in that it is argued that any critically inclined collaborative painting must reveal the actualities of the genesis of a work’s spatial and temporal performance. In juxtaposing these two trajectories through the process of co-responding, an analogy is created to the idea of a relational painting practice as a dynamic process of negotiation. The emerging interface generates an energy that has more significance than the notion of a completed or realized work. Reflecting on this collaborative experiment, this article suggests that the creation of an agonistic space for discourse is fundamental to imagining how a relational painting might unfold." 

04.12.2015 | Symposium Presentation: The Transformative Potential of Collaborative Painting

Today's symposium on Drawing Conversations at Coventry University brought together two types of practices: drawing as a means of engaging with others in order to inspire the creative process; and drawing as a method of enquiry and research that aims to make a difference in another field of practice (PDF of all abstracts). My presentation fell within the latter group, and has been summarised through the following visual representation of my paper:

 

20.11.2015 | Visual Agency: creating a context for curiosity, creativity and collaboration

VisualAgency.org logoI am really happy to announce that www.visualagency.org is now online!

Visual Agency is a new initiative that aims to bring more meaningful dialogue into everyday life: a verbal and visual interaction that stimulates curiosity, creativity and collaboration. The concept of Visual Agency has developed from art practice and academic research, offering a new approach to engaging with other people.

 

Visual Agency offers three types of facilitation workshops. Check out the website for more information about how to invite Visual Agency into your organisation's or company's meetings, about past workshops, to read reviews from previous participants, and to read insights that emerge from this exciting new approach to facilitating meetings. Finally, you can subscribe to the Visual Agency newsletter to stay informed about upcoming workshops and new insights.

09.11.2015 | Talk on Action Research by Mary Brydon-Miller at Malmo University

How can Action Research be used to address common but complex problems in order to create more positive futures? This question inspired Professor Mary Brydon-Miller's talk at Malmo University, titled 'Tackling Tough Issues through Action Research'. Also called Participatory Research and Community-based Participatory Research, Action Research can be explained through a succinct quote by Kurt Lewin: "If you want to truly understand something, try to change it." Here is the video from the talk:

 

16.10.2015 | Presenting at the 'Drawing Conversations' Symposium at Coventry University

The Drawing Conversations: reflecting upon collective and collaborative drawing practices is a one-day symposium

at the Coventry University (UK), taking place on the 4th of December, which will consider the specifics and value of collective and collaborative drawing practices. I will be presenting a paper at the symposium on the transformative potential of collaborative visualisation. There will also be an accompanying exhibition which, along with the symposium, will consider the nature and characteristics of a range of drawing processes which are enacted through collaboration and collective imaging.

25.09.2015 | Visiting Researcher at KU's Department of Arts and Cultural Studies

I am very happy to announce that, as of next week, I will be a Visiting Researcher at the Department of Arts and Cultural Studies at the University of Copenhagen. This is an exciting opportunity to engage with the research network at the University, while writing up my PhD at Central Saint Martins in London. I am also preparing a new online platform to present the intricacies of the exciting field I'm working in, which will aim to connect like-minded researchers and practitioners. More information to follow soon!

 

Aside of my research, I am currently working on an article for the Journal of Contemporary Painting. This is an experimental paper written collaboratively between two researchers-practitioners (an architect and a painter) in the form of a dialogic exchange. The challenge I set these two authors was: how to evaluate a painting practice that is foremost a relational process, rather than a creative process with an art object as primary outcome? I am now in the process of editing this paper to merge their two perspectives, while emphasising the conflicts that emerge from such a dialogue. News about the publication of this article will follow soon.

18.09.2015 | Low and High-Tech Visualisation Methods in Socio-Political Games

Documentation from a Home Visit Europe Session on 15 September 2015 in Copenhagen, Denmakr

 

Fifteen strangers meet in a random apartment to exchange and draw personal stories, to discuss the politics driving Europe, and to do weird tasks printed on the spot by a small undefinable machine. This is the essence of Home Visit Europe, a theatre play that is actually a performance that is in fact a socio-political game.

 

Participants are invited to discuss, debate, collaborate and compete in order to win (rather than share - that's reality) a slice of the cake. Brought to the table are issues concerning Europe, such as nationality, democracy and solidarity. Whereas the outcome is purely statistical (see my group's outcome), one leaves with a sense of having participated in something very unique. It is not so much the gathering with strangers and the topical discussion, but the way in which this encounter is facilitated by a diversity of low and high-tech tools. The hand-drawn map of Europe covering the table serves to trace people's stories of migration, to draw particular experiences that have affected our identities, and to imagine new borders in a time of crisis within Europe.

 

In the meanwhile, the beeping machine spews out questions and challenges to the group. Towards the end, the mini-screens enable teams to compete for a slice of the cake. It's good to finish on a sweet note what was otherwise a scene of conflict and curiosity into other people's thinking and acting. What did I take away from participating in this highly original approach to stimulating discussions between strangers? The right merging of low and high-tech tools can facilitate the exchange of questions and answers between strangers, thereby facilitating an in-depth discussion which everyone is comfortable engaging in. But above all, an app alone cannot do this (as is so often argued nowadays) - the key is the initiative to bring diverse people around the table. And here is the challenge for our times: how to get strangers to meet for a critical discussion on contemporary issues that affect us all, and that we all have a role to play in together?

 

29.08.2015 | We Are The Painters perform painting at Trust Exhibition in Copenhagen

Painting is rarely truly challenged, with expanded painting more a norm than exception these days. How surprised I was to see the work of We Are The Painters, a French artist's duo consisting of Nicolas Beaumelle and Aurélien Porte. Their breathtaking performance, as part of the Trust exhibition at the Nikolaj Kunsthal in Copenhagen, turned painting into an immersive experience that was not only spatial, but made painting come alive. The church-like interior, filled with overpowering music that reflected the building's previous purpose, showed a painterly stage-set from which three painted figures emerged that floated around the space. These figures, clad in canvases and with faces stiff from acrylics, walked in orderly and excruciatinly slow pace around and disappeared into the audience itself. In front of our eyes, painting transformed from the vertical plane to the horizontal platform, and finally broke out of any possible framework by walking into the viewers' space. Having a painting walk into your face is one thing, but leaving the audience behind is a wholly different statement that speaks of the medium's contemporary challenge in art galleries.

24.08.2015 | Copenhagen Art Week merges subtly with Copenhagen Cooking Week

Since a decade or two, cooking and art have become synonymous under the umbrella of relational art practice. There is some logic, then, to the concurrent running of the CPH Art Week and the CPH Cooking Week, nine days packed with art and food related events throughout the city (21-30.08.2015). Yet, the separation of the events does not raise the ambiguous and stale question of whether the dinner is art or not. Instead, at the Chart Art Fair most works are paintings or sculptures, and the performances do not involve the audience in any way, nor do they cross any boundaries, disciplines or paradigms. While there were one or two refreshing works (most notably by Tony Matelli and Anna Tuori, see images below), the relatively small fair did not match the expansiveness and innovative approach of the Frieze Art Fair in London. It did, however, offer talks on contemporary issues, for example asking 'Does Art Need to be Socially Engaging?'. Nonetheless, this talk remained within the safe zone of referrining to issues of responsibility and ethics, without delving deeper into these by offering some definitions, answers or challenging thoughts. Most curiously, the role and voice of the participant/audience/viewer was never addressed, even though it should be at the foundation of socially engaged or relational art. To my question of how the audience ought to survive tedious relational art, the answer was to simply not get engaged. I would have suggested that such a practice does not deserve the label of relational/socially engaging art. An example was easily found amongst the art week's events. The relational art 'works' on a boat by the artists Claus Haxholm, Will Owen and Jenny Gräf Sheppard had potential, but somehow lacked the real engagement that the street dining events offered as part of the cooking week. I felt more connected with my fellow diners than with the co-participants on the boat tour during the making of perfume out of canal water or by holding hands during the collective sound piece. These artistic endeavours were feverishly documented, but the question remains how, and by whom, they will be evaluated.

Sculpture in bronze by Tony Matelli

Painting by Anna Tuori


29.06.2015 | Archive of Polish deConstruction is now LIVE!

 

Polish deConstruction (PdC) was a voluntary, non-profit organisation that acted as a platform for the creative Polish community in London from 2007 to 2009. The aim of the organisation was to create a positive image of Poles in the UK, at a time when most of the (negative) associations related to Polish construction workers.

 

As part of the team, collaborating with Agata Smuzniak and Marzena Zoladz (founders of PdC) and a large group of volunteers, we organised a diversity of very successful art and culture events. It is worth remembering the great achievements of the whole PdC community: Polish deConstruction archive.

15.06.2015 | Launch and reception of second edition of the JCP on 29 June 2015

The second edition of the Journal of Contemporary Painting is being published, with the launch and reception taking place on Monday the 29th of June, 6-8pm, at:


Timothy Taylor
15 Carlos Place
London W1K 2EX
map


The JCP 1.2, edited by Mick Finch, Laura Lisbon and Daniel Sturgis, addresses the work and legacy of the French painter, Simon Hantaï (1922-2008).

 

Copies of the journal will be available on the evening.

 

More information about the issue can be found in the JCP newsletter. You can sign up for the newsletter here.

10.12.2014 | Two weeks in the Vauban: the fair, eco- and bio-district of Freiburg

 

The Vauban district is a friendly nod to the painter-architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. As one of the best known urban eco-projects, the Vauban is much more than low energy consumption housing. My two weeks in the Vauban are dedicated to observing the smaller gestures of its inhabitants, in order to reveal how this urban design enables its citizens to live the lifestyle they choose. read more

10.11.2014 | Launch of the Journal of Contemporary Painting

The new Journal of Contemporary Painting will be launched on 10 December, published by Intellect and edited by Rebecca Fortnum, Beth Harland, Michael Finch and Daniel Sturgis. I am involved in the journal as anonymous peer-reviewer and newsletter designer. If you are interested in receiving updates about the Journal of Contemporary Painting, please sign up for the newsletter.

 

The launch of this peer-reviewed academic journal will take place at the ICA in London on Wednesday 10 December at 20:00 in Cinema 1. The event presents a panel of speakers who are contributing to the first issue of the journal on the complex relationship between painting and cinema: Lydia Dona, Kaye Donachie, Dan Hays and Mario Rossi, chaired by Professor Beth Harland. The invited speakers will be showing short extracts from films of their choice and discuss the influence of cinema on their painting practices. Further information about the launch and booking of tickets: ICA website.

01.10.2014 | Painting 'Cities in Progress' on loan in London

My work 'Cities in Progress' is on loan at a London-based office, where it will be displayed for a year. If you are interested in loaning an artwork for your home or office, please get in touch wit me, as there are several other pieces available.

30.06.2014 | Participatory painting workshop at public space conference in Bologna

The workshop ‘Facilitating Spatial Negotiation’, which took place as part of the ‘Past, Present and Future of Public Space’ Conference in Bologna (25-27 June), demonstrates a pragmatic approach to understanding how public space can be realised. Underlying this participatory painting workshop, in collaboration with the Social Street movement, lies the question: How to realise a truly public space?

 

My paper 'Facilitating Spatial Negotiation: A Pragmatic Approach to Understanding Public Space' is currently under peer review for the conference proceedings that will be published in 2015.

 

08.05.2014 | Research presentation at University of Florence

I will be presenting my research at the Department of Architecture, University of Florence, in the MA Urban Sociology class of Dr Leonardo Chiesi on Thursday 15 May, and in the class of Dr Paolo Costa on Friday 16 May. The presentation will be followed by a discussion on the use of manual design methods and participatory design versus the high-tech tools that are most prevalent in the architectural and urban profession and education.

 

What could painting practice contribute to the architectural discipline? Showing examples from sessions with architecture students at the Department of Architecture (DIDA), University of Florence, this research presentation will illustrate how collaborative painting can facilitate discussions about architectural and urban space to create a critical, relational design practice.

18.04.2014 | Start of collaborative painting sessions at the University of Florence

This week, I have started working with architectural students at the Department of Architecture (DIDA), University of Florence. The sessions take place at Santa Verdiana, Piazza Ghiberti 27, in Florence.

 

It has been a very busy week, with two or three sessions a day. My collaboration with various student groups spans architectural design projects from London to New York, as well as local sites.

 

Students have commented that the use of painting makes it possible to layer visual information, whereas drawing with lines becomes chaotic. In comparison to their usual working method, using relatively small notebooks, the large canvas size enables all participants to collaborate in a more democratic fashion. It has also been noted that the participatory painting method would help students to explain their design ideas to their professor, because it reveals the analytical thinking process.

 

These are some first insights, but while I'm undertaking an in-depth analysis of the sessions, I would like to present some visual insights into the process:

 

 

01.03.2014 | Published paper in the academic journal Studies in Material Thinking

Published ArticleWhy is painting more relevant now than ever? How can a painting reflect a conversation about space? What could painting practice contribute to the architectural discipline?

 

These are some of the questions that have informed my ongoing research project on the relationship between painting and architecture. The first insights have just been published in the double-blind peer-reviewed journal Studies in Material Thinking:

 

'Painting Architecture: Towards a Practice-Led Research Methodology'

 

The SMT journal volume 10 The Art of Research focuses in particular on drawing as a research tool. My paper takes a slightly different approach which the editors say "opens up a discussion on the possibility of using the particularities of a painterly approach to examine and reflect on architectural practice and the role of painting as a process rather than outcome".

07.01.2014 | Painting Architecture sessions in Hong Kong

Is the visualisation of spatial thinking different in other parts of the world? With this question in mind, I organised two 'Painting Architecture' sessions during my stay in Hong Kong, which will feed into my PhD project.

 

The collaborations were very dissimilar in nature and outcome. The first one took place with an architect to discuss ideas for his ideal house. He invited his wife to participate, turning the session into a proper negotiation - if not confrontation - of private and shared space. Alongside the conversation was a more subtle discussion of how ideas are translated into their visual counterpart, balancing between oversimplictic symbols and the esoteric visual codes inherent to architectural training.

 

The second session addressed an existing place and its future development. I met with the owner of the small property that lies vacant and mostly in ruin within a deserted village, just outside of Hong Kong. We discussed the opportunities for a revivial of the village, in terms of the impact it could have as a cultural attraction, and the risks of attracting large investors that would negatively transform the idylic place into a tourist trap. Our painting became a real collaborative field of possibilities, as we talked about the various aspects of the place. We decided to leave part of the canvas blank, in regards of the uncertain future of the place, as well as its yet undiscussed opportunities.

 

 

Also the question of different visual approaches, there seems to be too much cultural crossover nowadays. Especially when architects are trained in the west, and bring their exertise back to the east, there is a standardisation in the rendering of spatial ideas. It could be argued that it's the intentions which account for the visual approach.

 

 

 

29.09.2013 | Presenting at the EAEA Conference in Milan

Back from the EAEA Conference in Milan on 'Envisioning Architecture: Design, Evaluation, Communication', generously hosted by Eugenio Morello and Barbara Piga at the Politecnico di Milano. I presented a poster on my PhD project:

 

 

The full and ambitious programme left enough time to meet some inspiring people. I was especially intrigued to hear about research and ideas from the Middle East, and glad that there was such a mixed international crowd.

 

conferenceIn the presentations, many arguments were made for the development of simulations of reality. However, these were not always convincing, in particular where the tools are used without clear indication of the need for such visualisation. Maybe the most convincing talks, albeit few of them, were the ones which presented low-tech visualisation strategies for the collaboration with others, which were subsequently translated into analytical visualisations using software.

 

Certainly, a discussion was missing on how architects and planners can engage with others in their work through innovative envisioning tactics. In this light, maybe the most accurate quote mentioned in one of the presentations was "the more isms, the more schisms". Nevertheless, the European Architectural Envisioning Association (EAEA) is clearly the platform where progress in the envisioning of architecture is shared and exposed. The next conference will take place in Lodz, Poland, in 2015.

22.09.2013 | Review of the Venice Art Biennale 2013

Venice Biennale documentation

 

Moving from country to country in short time spans, the pavilions at the Venice Art Bienniale reveal how national identities are produced and shaped. Not surprisingly, they often reinforce our expectations, and unfortunately also our preconceptions. The African pavilion deals with Apartheid leftovers, Finland with natural environments, the Greek with economics and the Brits with their political misery diluted by milky tea. While the latter was clearly overhyped by the British online guides, we were blown away by the following artists read more...

15.09.2013 | PhD Comics

PhD Comic

'Piled Higher and Deeper' by Jorge Cham, www.phdcomics.com

30.08.2013 | Community Participation in Italy

Road SignAs the dissemination of architecture as spatial agency is spreading (see for example FT's 'Architects who improvise and innovate'), I recall a small project I recently undertook in the Italian countryside. To visit the place I was staying at, one has to ignore all the signs to the left and take a dirt path in the right direction, which becomes even more questionable when 'private road' signs appear. Surely, a sense of destination would be evoked by an indication of the right turn possibility at the crossing? Above all, it might provide a sense of existence for the inhabitants of the small community at the end of the road. If a feeling of ownership over a place can have positive results over the long-term, it is worth thinking how one can contribute to this through small projects.

 

I set out to make a road sign which would not only be informative, but also reflect the identity of the place. Who better to engage than the local children? Together, we made sketches of the place, thinking about the key elements which represent the location. The next step was to find materials which could be recycled into a sign board. Of course, the installation of the sign is mainly useful for visitors, but it is the process of making the sign which evokes a sense of spatial responsibility. The key question is to what extent such a sign can become a 'relational object', as defined by Marjetica Potrc. My hope is that it will inspire other interventions that will improve the place, since Italy needs bottom-up interventions in light of the hard hitting crisis.

 

Update 01.09.2013: The sign board has been removed by an unknown entity, a sad loss for the community. However, the process remains realised and cannot be undone, as such an argument could be made for the importance of process over product. In the meanwhile, the case is being investigated until further notice.

07.08.2013 | Poster and Research Presentation at EAEA Conference in Milan

PosterMy presentation poster for the upcoming conference on 'Envisioning Architecture' is ready for print. The poster will be presented at the 11th EAEA 'Envisioning Architecture: Design, Evaluation, Communication' Conference, hosted by the Politecnico di Milano on 25-27 September 2013. The conference investigates "the role of visualization as a tool for conception, verification, evaluation and communication of architecture and space", in particular "visualization as a platform for experimentation, exploration, research, user participation and teaching". For more information: www.eaea11-2013.polimi.it

06.02.2013 | Upcoming research presentation at UAL

I will be presenting my research at the RNUAL Spring Research Symposium, at the University of the Arts London, taking place 11-15 February.

01.02.2013 | Book review published in Leonardo

book coverMy book review of Painting with Architecture in Mind (ed. Edward Whittaker and Alex Landrum, 2012) has been published in Leonardo, 46(5), p.503, and is also available online on Leonardo Reviews:

 

"With the title in mind, it is easily anticipated that this book advances the current debate on painting in the expanded field, but it covers a much larger territory. Exemplified by practices from the early twentieth century up to today, the contributing authors approach the relationship between painting and architecture through notions of colour, aesthetics versus aesthesia, (de)framing and display, geometric thinking, objecthood, dematerialisation and autopoiesis..." read more

15.01.2013 | A comparison of National Galleries in Italy and the Netherlands

Having just returned from a nice break in The Netherlands, and with the recent trip to Rome still fresh in mind, it is intriguing to compare two similar kinds of galleries with a totally different impact: the recently opened Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome. With the former shaped like a giant white bathtub, and the latter a majestic classical building, you would expect to swim around for hours in the Dutch masterwork and to quickly scroll through the Italian arte. Nothing proved further from the truth. After six hours non-stop in Rome's wonderful gallery, we were still running on adrenaline from the excellent curatorial job. Cheesy neon plastic sculptures adorned rooms with futurism's bald paintings, then some blue illuminated op-art hung next to conventionally framed impressionist painting in a room with clay busts. Around every corner another curatorial trick, with the highlight a full-room mirror floor reflecting its classic sculptures. In stark contrast, the bathtub treated us to a linear stroll through the standard -isms and its associated highlights, without any risk taking nor invitation to engage in a dialogue. This comparison and experience proves that curating is an art in itself. Moreover, it's a hint that, when writing my thesis chapter, I ought to refrain from historic linearism and instead propose some controversial juxtapositions to ignite the argument.

25.11.2012 | Quote

"An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way."

- Charles Bukowski

11.10.2012 | Upcoming conferences

November will be a very busy month; I will travel to the University of Innsbruck for the conference 'Spatial Thinking 2', then to Helsinki to present at 'The Art of Research Conference' at the Aalto University, and finally, my work will be shown at the conference 'Immaterial Materialities – Materiality and Interactivity in Art and Architecture' at the University of Technology in Sydney. These will be great opportunities to reflect upon and discuss the pilot study of the project 'Painting Architecture'. With seven completed sessions, some initial arguments can be made, while I am also looking into the best way of documenting the paintings since they are in the ownership of the participants (see project). The one painting which is in my possession, I intend to circulate around the audience during my conference presentations in order to make the audience see it. Our society is so overwhelmed with pictures that we have become indifferent and unresponsive, not paying attention to the embedded meaning(s) within the image. By holding a painting in the hands, while listening to a detailed description of the pictorial elements, I hope to make the audience aware of the painting's functional and rhetorical value. As such, the work is not only a relational object in the studio, when created out of the dialogue with the participant, but also when experienced and interpreted by the viewers.

05.07.2012 | Painting acquired by University of the Arts London

The painting 'Urbanization' has been acquired by the University of the Arts London for their art collection!

 

19.06.2012 | Upcoming Exhibition at UCL Cities Methodologies

My work 'Alternative Masterplan' will be on show at UCL Cities Methodologies, an initiative to showcase innovative methods of urban research. "Visitors to Cities Methodologies will encounter diverse methods of urban research in juxtaposition - from archival studies to digital media experiments, practice-led art, architectural and design work to film-making, soundscapes, games and public sculpture."

 

Flyer

 

I would especially like to invite you to my event on Friday 6th of July at 5-6pm in the Auditorium. This one-off event is the original context in which my painting should be viewed and experienced:

 

event description

 

This event if free and open to everyone (also non-architects!), and part of a larger Programme of Events. If you can't make it to my talk on Friday, drop by for a chat at the Private View on Wednesday. Here are all the details:

 

Private View: Wednesday 18:30, 4 July 2012, all welcome!

Date: 4-7 July 2012

Open: Thurs to Fri 10.00-20.00, Sat 10.00-13.00

Place: Slade Research Centre, Woburn Square, London WC1H 0AB map

My exhibit is in Room 2.

26.05.2012 | The Media of the Metapolis Conference, Bauhaus University

Back from 'The Media of the Metapolis' conference in Weimar, which aimed to critically disseminate the ways in which knowledge about, and research into the city is communicated. Great experience to present for such an international group of researchers and practitioners!

07.04.2012 | Conference at the University of Lincoln

Just returned from presenting at the two-day conference at the University of Lincoln; Theoretical Currents II: Architecture and its Geographical Horizons. With the theme of Ptolemy’s Cosmographia - how the geographic impulse maps not only the known world, but also the inhabited world - the conference brought together a wide variety of speakers and research topics. The keynote speakers Prof Andrzej Piotrowski and Prof Carolyn Steel reflected the two main approaches taken in the conference; on the one hand the continuous problem with architecture as an autonomous project that translates social complexity into visual complexity in a failed attempt at a holistic perspective, and on the other hand the lack of awareness in current design and planning of the fundamental human needs that essentially shape the landscapes we inhabit. The various presentations reveal a struggle how to introduce a human element into thinking about the geographic impuls in architecture, often through a reconsideration of the relationship between city and countryaide, but also by asking how design and visual representation should map human movement, protest, needs etc - in short, how we respond to contextual complexity in a way that is both ethical and aesthetic.

01.03.2012 | Research Conference at Chelsea College of Art

I attended the 'Contested Sites/Sights' research conference at Chelsea College of Art, which responds to the idea that: “[If we think of place] as formed out of social interrelations at all scales, then one view of a place is as a particular articulation of those relations, a particular moment in those networks of social relations and understandings.” (Doreen Massey, ‘Space, Place, Gender’, 1994) What struck me most, when comparing research in the fine arts and in architecture,, is how art research allows the researcher to be at the source of the enquiry. This subjectivity reflects the extremely qualitative methods used, whereas architectural research hides this in complex diagrams and 'facts'. Especially in light of the question to what extent research ought to be holistic, havign embodied a postmodern sensibility/responsibility, the question what position we take up in our own research is crucial to what we want to claim when locating ourselves within "a social, economic and political realm".

25.02.2012 | Friday Session at Public Works

Another interesting Friday Session at Public Works yesterday, to "feed the culture" and to "feed the stomach" with soup afterwards:

"An introduction to alternative economic models and collaborative practices in times of decreasing mainstream funding. The discussion will focus on thoughts and tools towards more democratic and sustainable economies for experimental cultural practice."

 

Compared to the model of talks and discussions at other fora (let's not mention names), these sessions really stand out. They are, as I see it, practical exchanges of knowledge and networks, inclusive and informal enough to embrace the cumulative intelligence of the whole audience, rather than revering the speakers as exclusive experts. This is not to say that the speakers weren't contributing invaluable insight into contemporary developments in society and the creative sector. The three speakers provided theoretical, practical and ethical arguments for developing a better context in which creative practice can flourish, through alternative (economic) models such as crowdfunding, commoning, Sunday Soup and Artist Run Credit League. These are all about creating networks that are based on other values than the ones advocated by capitalism. One could add to this list: freecycle, furniture re-use network, swap a skill, read it swap it, ecomodo good returns. Maybe we don't need all that money after all!?

 

Some interesting points that came up:

- Alternative (economic) models have always existed, but are now being systematised. The internet can, as such, reach wider networks.

- Especially interesting is the system of pledges in crowdfunding, where the supporters receive something in return for their financial support.

- The danger of such network groups becoming freemasonry, if powerful people get together. This relates to the ethical ground on which such networks are based.

23.02.2012 | The Creative Process at the British Academy

Yesterday, I attended the panel discussion on The Creative Process at the British Academy. While it was rather depressing to hear the reality (as opposed to generally kept myths) of creative work by Professor Rosalind Gill, the presentation by Professor Pat Healey reminded me again of the importance of externalising ideas. Based on other research, he argues that a mental picture is not enough to be creative, rather one has to externalise it by, for example, making sketches in order to start a creative process. Thus, the active engagement allows for the emergence of creative ideas and new interpretations. While this might sound pretty basic, it is a valid argument for practice-based doctoral studies - and, as I argue in my PhD, for architects to work more manually instead of using software.

While the discussion was very well chaired by Professor John Sloboda, he raised crucial questions which unfortunately remained unaddressed. After all, creativity is not just part of the working process of the creative sector, but can be invaluable to everyday life.

20.02.2012 | Upcoming Conference at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar

Excellent news! I have been invited to present at the conference The Media of the Metapolis at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, 24-26 May 2012 (www.mediacityproject.org).

11.01.2012 | Upcoming Conference at University of Lincoln

My paper has been accepted for the conference Theoretical Currents II: Architecture and its Geographical Horizons at the University of Lincoln, on the 4-5th of April 2012. (www.theoreticalcurrents.com)

01.11.2011 | Presenting at Law Conference, University of Westminster

I am presenting a paper entitled 'Who Manages Who? Art and Law in Conversation' with Dr. Hin-Yan Liu at the conference 'Law, the Universe and Everything'

Wednesday 16 November 2011, 10:30 – 19:00

University of Westminster
Room C2.15, 115 New Cavendish Street
London, W1W 6UW

Attendance is free, but places are limited, RSVP required

 

With an inaugural lecture 'The Interdisciplinarity of Law and the Post-Humanist Turn' by Professor Andreas Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos at 18:00.

25.10.2011 | Open Studios in Ridley Road

Ridley Road Open Studios 2011

this weekend, 28 and 29 October

Friday 6-9pm, Saturday 12-6pm

Address: 51 - 63 Ridley Road, London E8 2NP

my space is 2nd floor, studio 8

 

06.10.2011 | Participating in the Secret Art Show

Submitted an artwork for the Secret Art Show, to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Trust.

07.07.2011 | Private View of the RSA Fellows Exhibition

The Private View of the RSA exhibition was really wonderful last night, and a great opportunity to meet the other artists involved, such as Martin Stynes and Frank Creber, each interested in the urban environment from a different perspective. The space at the Portico Library is unique, and itself representing a romantic site within the harsh architectural contrasts of Manchester.

 

Photos of the exhibition are now online!

01.07.2011 | Published Article on the RSA Website

The exhibition 'Romanticism in the Urban Environment', opening in Manchester next week (see information below), is now accompanied by my article on the RSA website, entitled 'Engaging Artists in the Debate on 21st Century Cities'.

16.06.2011 | Exhibiting at the RSA Fellows exhibition in Manchester

Upcoming Group Exhibition 7 July - 26 August 2011:

RSA Poster and Invite

 

My work has been selected for the prestigious RSA Fellows exhibition 'Romanticism in the Urban Environment', in The Portico in Manchester, during July and August.

 

Private View: Wednesday 6th of July, 6-8pm

Address: The Portico Library & Gallery

57 Mosley Street
Manchester M2 3HY

map

12.06.2011 | Presenting at Symposium on a Train to Folkestone

Flyer

 

I will be presenting at 'The Journey as a Site for Creative Practice: A Symposium', taking place in the second carriage of the 11:12 high speed train from London St Pancras to Folkestone on Saturday 25th of June 2011, organised by 16 Space. Upon arrival in Folkestone, after a 55 min. journey, there is the grand launch of Folkestone Triennial, with a conference taking place at 2pm - 6.30pm (key speaker Saskia Sassen), as well as many other events. Check out www.folkestonetriennial.org.uk for more information and the full programme.

23.05.2011 | Grant from The Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust

I am pleased to announce that I got awarded a grant from The Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust for the next academic year. I am currently working on a new piece, which will depart from pure painting and incorporate appropriated images in 'conversation' with the painting.

10.04.2011 | A-N Talk on Professional Practice

Monday 11 April, I will be giving a talk on professional practice, as part of a-n Air Activists Salon (Artists' Interaction & Representation).

 

Location: New Gallery London 94-96 Peckham Rd,
London SE15 5PY

Date: 11.04.11

Time: 6.30-8.30pm

24.02.2011 | Teaching at School of Architecture

I will be doing a workshop with the BA Architecture students at Westminster University, consisting of a lecture, discussion and tutorials. The workshop will be on the topic of effective presentation methods for architects, and the rhetorical value of architectural representation. It will also touch on issues of motives and choices in creating images, thus very relevant to my reseach.

I'll also be doing tutorials with the 1st year students at the School of Media, Arts and Design.

30.01.2011 | Investigating London's Regeneration

Back in the studio... finally finished the official PhD proposal for registration! Time to get going with the research. My current project is a response to the Meanwhile London competition, whichs aims to regenerate Canning Town and the Royal Docks area. It's interesting how the local councils are looking for "temporary use" projects for three sites, in order to generate long-term interest and investment. Their aspiration is "local projects that reach a global audience", which sounds like a rather challenging project!

01.12.2010 | Research Presentation at CREAM Winter Symposium

On the 16th of December, I will present my research as part of the CREAM Winter Symposium, which will take place at Ambika P3, University of Westminster (Location: Ambika P3, 35 Marylebone Road, NW1 5LS . Baker Street Station).

 

The theme of the symposium is built around the exhibition of Terry Flaxton: High Resolution Moving Image Works. The presentation will respond to the question: "In what way do high definition digital technologies affect the production and reception of art in the fields of Photography, Print Arts, New Media and Moving Images?"

13.10.2010 | Research Presentation at Festival on Cities by TINAG

I will be giving a short talk about my PhD research at the 3rd Annual Festival On Cities 2010, organised by This Is Not A Gateway, as part of the "Soapbox, Oh that's interesting!" series.

The talk will take place on Sunday 24th of October, sometime between 2-3pm (Location: Match Stick Hall, Hanbury Hall, 22 Hanbury Street, London E1 6QR, MAP). The Soapbox introduces new research, ideas and projects, and it would be great to see you there!

The festival takes place on 22-24 October and has 163 contributors which makes it a large platform for discussions on all aspects of the city. Check out the full programme (discussions, walks, films, exhibitions and workshops) on the TINAG website.

01.02.2010 | Upcoming Exhibition in Salford

Exhibiting in Group Exhibition 'Ponglish for Beginners' (curated by Stephen Campbell) at From Space, Salford, 18 Feb - 31 March 2010:

 

 

'Ponglish for Beginners' Part 2 focuses on the theme of the Metropolis.

 

London has attracted many Polish people to its bright lights and opportunities. In this exhibition five young artists who have moved to Britain from Poland, explore different aspects of the City.

 

From Space is a unique arts space in the centre of Manchester, associated with Islington Mill and just outside of Spinningfields, it is a world to its own. The public are invited to draw every day at 2, and are encouraged to use the space to get on with some work, read, or join in with all sorts of projects happening by the fire.

 

'Ponglish For Beginners' is a series of exhibitions which explore the relationship between Britain and Poland, beginning with Polish artists who practise in Britain.

01.02.2010 | Artist Talk at Oxford University

Artist Talk at St Cross College, University of Oxford

Date: Thursday 4 February 2010

Time: 8pm

Free entry

05.11.2009 | Upcoming Exhibition at Neal's Yard Galleries

Exhibiting in Group Exhibition 12-15 November:

 

exhibition flyer

27.09.2009 | Solo Exhibition 'No Planning Permission', 8-11 October 2009

I am pleased to announce my solo exhibition No Planning Permission, which will showcase a number of large-scale artworks installed in the Blows Yard space:

 

No Planning Permission flyer

 

PHOTOS PV | ARTICLE DZIENNIK POLSKI